Breakfast with Barbossa
by BlackJackSilver
Summary: Complete- Jack learns a thing or two about Barbossa over a meal.


Disclaimer: Not mine. Just because Jack and the crew, their various friends, and relatives of friends, use my house for a flop occasionally, doesn't make them mine. Most of them don't even have keys, which might explain all the broken windows, and that big hole kicked in the door. I am indebted for my fun to more creative minds- Disney owns all.  
  
This story is dedicated to all Barbossa fans out there- hey you lot, I'd appreciate any ideas on how I might improve my Barbossa characterization. He's an elusive beast.  
  
Special thanks (Jack thanks you, too. His arms were getting tired.) go out to Raphe1 for keeping a weather eye on my spelling. That said- the credit for all mistakes is mine, all mine!  
  
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Breakfast with Barbossa -by BlackJackSilver  
  
Jack plops down in the Captain's chair in the galley of the Black Pearl, sets a bottle of rum from his private store on the table, and grabs an apple out of a large bowl close to him. Then he leans back in his chair and props his boots up. He turns to his first mate, sitting down next to him, pulling a large cloth out of his pocket and folding it into his lap.  
  
"Where's Bill gotten to this morning?"  
  
"Ah, our Mr. Turner had a bit too much ta drink last night. He's getting a slow start on the day, it would seem. Don't you worry, Captain, I'll get him to eat somethin when we relieve the skeleton crew. He's sure to be about his duties on time."  
  
"Oh, I've no doubt of that, Mr. Barbossa."  
  
Barbossa too, grabs an apple and shines it on the cloth. Studying a distorted reflection in the smooth dark red skin, Barbossa says casually,  
  
"Tell me Captain, will ya be regalin us all with a story this fine morning?"  
  
Jack glances at his first mate. If he didn't know better, he'd swear Barbossa smuggled a strumpet on board. Still, you never know what manner of ship board romances can arise on a long journey. Jack looks around and shudders inwardly- too early in the morning to contemplate such things on a near empty stomach. Still, Turner is absent this morning! Nah, Bill would come stealing into the Captain's cabin, before he ever gave Barbossa a try. Jack finishes his first apple quickly, slices another and takes some smoked fish and cheese to eat with the slices.  
  
"Lads, I'll tell ya all the story of how I first met our first mate, here."  
  
"No, not that old chestnut, please, Captain."  
  
"You wanted a story, Mr. Barbossa. Now yer gettin all coy just because you happen to be in it! What's the matter? Don't want the new lads to know, that you were once semi-respectable?"  
  
"It's true, lads, I confess. I was quite the upstandin privateer before I met up with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow."  
  
"Look where that was gettin ya, mate! Servin king and country, you could hardly afford to keep your own crew fed."  
  
"Now don't exaggerate, Captain. It wasn't as bad as all that. I did feed me crew."  
  
"Not with bleedin apples, you didn't. Lads, I never thought I'd see a crew of living skeletons 'fore I plundered ol' Barbossa's ship- wha' was it called?"  
  
"The Atonement, Captain."  
  
"That's right! The Atonement chose battle. Captain Barbossa and I crossed swords. He fought like a bloody demon, too. In the end though, the Atonement was sinking. I'd lost a fair number of crew, includin me first mate. So Barbossa and I, still dancing around with each other, came to a hasty accord that was mutually beneficial. We sheathed our swords, diverted a lot of swag from the royal coffers, or from Davy Jones locker, more like, for that's where it was all headed. Barbossa and what was left of his crew joined the Pearl. I got the best first mate I ever had. Never mind that, they got their first decent meal they'd had in months, years maybe."  
  
"Says you, Captain."  
  
"Lads, all they had to eat aboard that ship was some bleedin moldy hardtack, and not a lot of that to go around."  
  
"I was a simpler man then-"  
  
"Rum soaked fruitcake?" Jack offers Barbossa a large tin. Barbossa takes a slice and nods by way of thank you.  
  
"As I was sayin, a simpler man of simpler tastes."  
  
"So I brought out the hedonist in the ascetic. Would that be right, Mr. Barbossa?"  
  
"In a manner of speaking, I suppose. T'was you who taught me the ways of greed, that's fer certain."  
  
"Take what you can, mate."  
  
"Give nothin back," Barbossa and Sparrow toast. Sparrow finishes the last of his rum. Barbossa takes the merest sip of wine, picks at his cake then continues, "Over the years, I learned a lot from Captain Sparrow here, lads. Alas, I think it's about time to inform our Captain, that the student has surpassed the teacher."  
  
"I'm sure I dunno what you mean, mate."  
  
"I mean there's been a change in the wind, Jack."  
  
"That's Captain to you, Mr. Barbossa."  
  
Jack hears many pistols cock.  
  
"No, that's mutiny to you, Jack. Wine, Jack?" Jack wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. Barbossa refills his own mug instead. "Twigg, relieve our ex-Captain of his weapons, if you please."  
  
"Aye, Captain"  
  
"There's no reason not to be civilized about this, Jack. The whole crew is with me, except for Turner, that is, who couldn't be with us this morning, as he's locked up in the brig right now. I'm hoping he'll come around to seein things our way. T'would be ashame ta lose an asset as fine as our quartermaster, doncha think, Jack."  
  
"Indeed I do, Barbossa. Bill will come around. Got a wife and a kid ta think about, dun'he?"  
  
"Does he? Oh, and that's Captain Barbossa, Jack."  
  
"Fair enough, mate, look, if the crew here votes you the captain, it's no mutiny, merely a change in the wind, as you say. I'll have to settle for taking your place as first mate."  
  
"Fraid I can't do that Jack. There's a little spit of land we've been circling since you came down here. I'm going to make you the governor of it. No matter what ya say, you'll not play first mate to my captain. It's not in ya. Plus, you've developed a down right unnatural relationship with the Pearl. You'll never willingly suffer another man to have her. Ye'd never rest until you were her captain again. I know you far too well to believe anything else. Call me lazy, but I really don't fancy having to watch me back forever."  
  
"Oh bloody hell, I'm not afraid to die. Why do ya want to maroon me? Why not just shoot me now, and be done with it?" Jack tears opens his shirt and flails around a bit in the direction of his heart.  
  
"Cause we're mates, Jack. It's not that I don't like ya, always have. Don't want yer blood on my hands or on my ship. Tell ya what, I'll give ya a pistol with one shot. You can take care of the problem for all of us, once you swim over to that island. When you eat that shot, Jack, consider it the fruit of our friendship that you'll not be havin ta starve ta death or die of thirst, when it doesn't rain often enough. Consider killing yerself, your last duty to the Black Pearl. Makes it seem all the friendlier that way, doesn't it?"  
  
"How'd ya get the crew, soon to regret their decision deeply, lads, I've no doubt," Jack says narrowing his eyes, looking from man to man meaningfully, "to go along with ya?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, with you as captain, the crew always has to fight against the tide. It's as if life just isn't challenging enough for the great Jack Sparrow. You always have to complicate things. That and with me as Captain, it's going to be all equal shares, isn't that right, lads, from me, right down to the last man. You had ta take double share, and gave share and a half to me and to Turner. That's plenty less fer the rest of the crew. You giving up the location of the Isla de Muerte last night, settled my timing is all. In the end, though, it was greed, not trust, that was your undoing. Think on that, while yer waiting for your powder to dry. Twigg!"  
  
"Aye Captain"  
  
"You and Dog Ear show Jack Sparrow over the side. Here, toss me best pistol in after him."  
  
"Aye, Captain."  
  
Dog Ear and Twigg each grab Jack by an arm.  
  
"Captain Barbossa!"  
  
"Aye, Jack, a few last words?"  
  
"Just you promise you'll look after the Pearl."  
  
"Jack, I hate to be the one to break this to you, especially today : the Pearl, Jack, is just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's all the Black Pearl really is."  
  
Jack pulls his arm away from Twigg and places his hand on a beam.  
  
"Don't you listen to him, love."  
  
"Get him out of my sight!"  
  
Jack doesn't struggle but catches Barbossa's eyes, and mouths something silently before he is led out.  
  
"I'm not sure, lads, but I think the ex-Captain Sparrow just cursed us all. Good thing we don't believe in curses!"  
  
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End file.
